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Writer's pictureAmit Shankar

How 'free' is Freedom of Speech

I am so glad that finally my country has woken up to the expression “Freedom of Speech.”  CONGRATS!


It was long overdue. The nation stands indebted to the liberal and secular media, especially luminaries like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai, Shekhar Gupta, Nidhi Razdaan and few others who worked tirelessly and intellectuals like Nayan Tara Sehgal, Ashok Bajpei who made us realize the ease of practicing it. Also, we owe it to every sloganeering student of JNU; Umar Khallid to Kanhiya, who displayed how empowering it could be.


If we pull ourselves little back, we would realise that Freedom of Speech started somewhere around the year 2012 or maybe a little earlier. This was the time  when a man named Modi was rising. Who else but the ruling party, Congress, after tirelessly licking the asses of the Brits to win our freedom, were the ones to kick start the great 'Freedom of Speech' movement. Led by the great leaders, Honorable Digvijay Singh, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Salman Khurshid and at times the Messiah of the poor, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the nation woke up to freedom of expression that gave birth to new terms—Chai wala, Maut ka Suadagar, and the list was exhaustive.


These great visionaries ensured that they led by example. No wonder they left no stone unturned. Amidst all this, another great thinker of our times, Shri Rahul Gandhi was busy taking it to a new level, almost introducing another Freedom to our set of constitutional rights—Freedom To Idiotic Speech--Har ek main se do baccha, Gujarat ka doodh, today morning I woke up at night...sigh.


These great leaders made us realize the true implication of this right. Abuse anyone; call names, malign, rubbish him or her without any fear. The breeding ground was ready and many people took the baton ahead. Yug Purush, Shri Arvind Kejriwal was the front-runner. He used this right against everyone, without any compunction, guilt or fear. Using this weapon, in no time, he was the undisputed king of Freedom of Speech. Few other crusaders like Rajdeep, Barkha , Nidhi joined the train.


However, we did not know that the right came with a clause, a caveat.

The clause of ‘Selectivism.” 


It was to be practiced only by a selected few, on selected few and for a selective few cause. If anyone took an exception, like Kamlesh Tiwari who used the same to criticize Islam, he was booked under NSA. Yes, for months he has been in jail for disturbing the peace and security of this great 'intolerant' nation. He has no right to practice the same as the right only sits with students of JNU who can use the same to abuse the nation, threaten it with revolt, challenge the decision of the Supreme Court, call the judges murderers, sing songs in the praise of terrorists and express solidarity with them. And the beauty of this Freedom? A large part of media and intellectuals, of course politicians, would support the cause.


I am confused. Can I practice it or would I be thrown behind the bars? Can I call Rahul Gandhi a ‘C*****’, Barkha Dutt a ‘R****’, Rajdeep Sardesai a ‘H*****’, Nayan Tara Sehgal a ‘K****,’ Digvijay Singh a ‘G****,’ Mani Shankar Aiyar a ‘D****’ yet get away with it?


Would the nation and the media back me if I shout slogans against Allah, Islam. Would media support me the way they support when the propagators of this right paint Hindu deities naked, call them names, issue notices to Lord Ram and Hanuman, post insulting cartoons of them or would they brand me as an “Intolerant Hindu?”


Can I even practice my right and shout “Jai Shri Raam” “Bharat Mata KI jai” or “Vande Mataram? ” I am sure I can't as I would become a threat to the nation. I don’t even have the right to carry a tri-color as a section of media finds it to be dangerous to the peace of nation.


What kind of times are we living in? In this country, everyone has a right but for me. Right to reservation, right to job, right to expression, right to getting pampered, right to being treated fairly, right to equal growth, right to equal opportunity—I have none. All these rights are reserved for vote bank; please read Muslims. The destiny of this nation is to be decided by Lallo, Mayawati, Mamta, Rahul and other flunkies who are just an extension of the great Nehru Legacy, which believed in licking anything—boot to butt, for chair.


With great caution and apprehension, I am winding this blog with VANDE MATARAM. 

Am I disturbing the peace of this nation?


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